Interview Juan Manuel Lopez shouldn’t have been allowed, Showtime is to blame

[damit305]

That should be seen as the exception, not the norm. These guys aren't running up and down the court all night, they're getting punched in the face. It is what it is.

You don't need to show signs of brain damage later to have been loopy right after getting your azz kicked.

Exception? Solis v Gamboa or Juanma v Salido? Not sure which you're referring to.

Regardless, if you've seen this sport long enough you can admit that things happen in post fight interviews but c'mon it was irresponsible for Juanma to attempt to damage the refs reputation.
Angel Manfreddy for example was ridiculed after being stopped vs Floyd. Manfreddy bit#hed and moaned but did not cross the line such as Juanma did.

[Ray*]

I say no interviews till everyone is in their dressing room and after been checked by a doctor, emotions runs high after a fight win or lose.

[DoktorSleepless]

If it's true that Lopez really warned the commission that the ref had a gambling problem, then he probably had that excuse planned before the fight when he was perfectly lucid. If it turns out he really didn't complain and he just made that up on the spot, then I think it's perfectly fair to disregard anything he said in the post-fight interview for the reasons Kevin Iole mentioned.

[bMak]

Exception? Solis v Gamboa or Juanma v Salido? Not sure which you're referring to.

Regardless, if you've seen this sport long enough you can admit that things happen in post fight interviews but c'mon it was irresponsible for Juanma to attempt to damage the refs reputation.
Angel Manfreddy for example was ridiculed after being stopped vs Floyd. Manfreddy bit#hed and moaned but did not cross the line such as Juanma did.

A good loser, especially one whose lost thousands of brain cells, should be the exception. These guys sacrifice a ton and have tremendous pressure on them from within. It's not at all unusual or uncommon for a fighter to ***** after a loss, especially when he likely isn't fully coherent. Taking a bad beating has an effect comparable to being drunk.

I think you're misinterpreting my message though. I'm not going to argue JuanMa was right to say what he said, he was way out of bounds. I'm saying I'm not shocked, outraged, appalled or any other similar adjective. Dude took a bad beating. I remember Manfreddy bugging, but there isn't a real comparison to be made- he wasn't separated from his senses.

[Russian Crushin]

If it's true that Lopez really warned the commission that the ref had a gambling problem, then he probably had that excuse planned before the fight when he was perfectly lucid. If it turns out he really didn't complain and he just made that up on the spot, then I think it's perfectly fair to disregard anything he said in the post-fight interview for the reasons Kevin Iole mentioned.

How can you simply disregard something a person says unless he's declared clinically insane?

[bMak]

I say no interviews till everyone is in their dressing room and after been checked by a doctor, emotions runs high after a fight win or lose.

And as much as we'd hate that, it'd be best for the fighters. Especially fighters who've just absorbed beatings like JuanMa did. I think the damage the two Salido fights has/will have on him going forward is being understated.

[bMak]

How can you simply disregard something a person says unless he's declared clinically insane?

Simple: credibility. I disregard what most fighters, promoters, and writers say. In this case, who said it? The guy that lost. When did he say it? Right after that loss, in front of his countrymen, in the heat of the moment. And again, the type of beating he took doesn't lend itself well to a lucid and coherent mind-state.

[Discipline]

Article makes a good point. Listen to what Andre Dirrell has to say after getting KO'd by Abraham:

[Atreyu Khalil]

SMH come on, fighters know why they are saying. Its not like he was Jermain Taylored. He knew what he was saying he was just embarrassed in front of all his people again and wanted to place the blame on someone else. The only reason it sounded more extreme than normal was because of what he said. in regards to the referee having a gambling problem. Had he just blamed the ref for not allowing him to continue then this wouldn't even be talked about. He was fine....why is everyone pampering Juan Ma?

[CubanGuyNYC]

I watched the fight on Youtube yesterday evening. Both fighters sounded drunk, slurring their words, during the post-fight interviews. This was probably due, in part, to swelling of the lips. Lopez sounded worse than Salido. When he started talking crazy, it certainly appeared he might've still had his brain rattled. The translator was clearly embarrassed to repeat JuanMa's words, but Jim Gray did his job and kept it rolling. Controversy sells.

Lopez might've actually believed some of what he was saying, but he probably would've chosen his words more carefully if his mind was clear. He just got done waging war. He sustained more punishment in the ninth round alone than Jorge Solis endured in four rounds against Gamboa. Solis was blitzed; JuanMa was pummeled. It's impossible to know exactly what condition a man's head is in by just looking at him, but it certainly appeared to me that Lopez was in much worse shape than Solis when they did their respective interviews.